Disclaimer

If you do not know me (I mean, really know me) then there is something you need to understand before you read this blog: I value the truth above everything else... except a good laugh. A good laugh will almost always beat the truth as far as I’m concerned. Everything you read on this blog will be true, somewhat true, or something I made up in an effort to get a laugh. Sometimes I will go on a rant that I don’t really mean (or only kind of mean). Sometimes I will mean what I write only to completely change my mind a year, month, or day later. Such is life. By reading this blog you agree not to get offended by anything I write (or, at the very least, you agree not to tell me or anyone else that you are offended). It is worth noting that my employer does not endorse my blog (or even read it, to tell you the truth). The Wife also does not endorse my blog (though she will read it from time to time). I am not paid to write this... it’s just my way of giving back to the community. I have, and will, touch on a wide range of subjects and will give my opinion on these subjects. Again, most of what I say is for laughs but every now and then I will say what I really think and feel (see my views on Westboro Baptist Cult). How will you know when I’m serious and when I’m trying to get a laugh? You’ll know. And if you don’t know, well... maybe this isn’t the best thing for you to be reading. So, sit back, read and enjoy. Leave comments if you want and don’t be afraid to publicly follow me.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Captain Jon E. Swanson distinguished himself by acts of bravery on February 26, 1971, while flying an OH-6A aircraft in support of ARVN Task Force 333 in the Kingdom of Cambodia. With two well-equipped enemy regiments known to be in the area, Captain Swanson was tasked with pinpointing the enemy's precise positions. Captain Swanson flew at treetop level at a slow airspeed, making his aircraft a vulnerable target. The advancing ARVN unit came under heavy automatic weapons fire from enemy bunkers 100 meters to their front. Exposing his aircraft to enemy anti-aircraft fire, Captain Swanson immediately engaged the enemy bunkers with concussion grenades and machine gun fire. After destroying five bunkers and evading intense ground-to-air fire, he observed a .51 caliber machine gun position. With all his heavy ordnance expended on the bunkers, he did not have sufficient explosives to destroy the position. Consequently, he marked the position with a smoke grenade and directed a Cobra gun ship attack. After completion of the attack, Captain Swanson found the weapon still intact and an enemy soldier crawling over to man it. He immediately engaged the individual and killed him. During this time, his aircraft sustained several hits from another .51 caliber machine gun. Captain Swanson engaged the position with his aircraft's weapons, marked the target, and directed a second Cobra gun ship attack. He volunteered to continue the mission, despite the fact that he was now critically low on ammunition and his aircraft was crippled by enemy fire. As Captain Swanson attempted to fly toward another .51 caliber machine gun position, his aircraft exploded in the air and crashed to the ground, causing his death. Captain Swanson's courageous actions resulted in at least eight enemy killed and the destruction of three enemy anti-aircraft weapons. Captain Swanson's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.

On board the U.S.S. Santiago de Cuba during the assault on Fort Fisher on 15 January 1865. As one of a boat crew detailed to one of the generals on shore, Swatton bravely entered the fort in the assault and accompanied his party in carrying dispatches at the height of the battle. He was 1 of 6 men who entered the fort in the assault from the fleet.

Today I’d like to wish my Labor Day Aunt Janie a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We hope she has a GREAT day!!!! I’m looking forward to seeing my Labor Day family in about 50 days…

Daniel was sick a couple of weeks ago. He had a fever for about a week. The weekend came and The Wife had to go out of town for work (and by “out of town”, I mean to the beach… and by “for work”, I mean to see her college friends), so I let Daniel sleep in the bed with me. We woke up on Sunday and I reached over to feel his head. It felt hot. So, this conversation took place…

Me: “I’m going to have to take your temperature, Buddy”.

Daniel: “Ok”.

(I take his temperature… It was 101.7).

Daniel (in a very pitiful voice): “Daddy… Do I have a fever?”

Me: “Yep, Buddy, you’ve got a fever”.

Daniel (in the same pitiful voice): “Aww, damnit”.

I noticed something the other day… It’s something I’d known for years now, it really hit me the other day. As you know, I have a sister (Teresa Lynn) how loves to talk and a brother (Sonny) who is a functional mute. I, of course, am the glue that binds all of us together (they refuse to talk to each other). Anyway, I try to call each of them from time to time to see how they are doing and to let them know how Mom and Dad are doing (I’m the only one who talks to them, too). Here is the funny thing about calling them… Sonny almost always (99% of the time) answers my call. He could be at baseball practice, a game or in a meeting with his boss (“I said hold on, I’m on the phone with my little brother!”). The rare time he doesn’t answer, he always calls me back. There are even times when he calls me first (let’s not get carried away here… that doesn’t happen a lot, but it does happen).

Teresa Lynn, on the other hand, almost never answers my call (maybe 1% of the time). Of that 1%, 95% of the time she’s busy talking to someone or watching a neighbor walk by or something like that… so she asks if she can call me right back. I say yes, but she only calls me back about 3% of the time. When she doesn’t answer, I leave her a voice mail to call me back… she almost never does (maybe 1% again). Recently, she might answer to talk to me… but that’s just so she can yell at me about something that happened in the 1980s that she had forgotten about until she found her journals from back then. But that’s ok, I still love her. I just think it’s funny that there is a better chance of Sonny calling me out of the blue than there is of Teresa Lynn answering my phone calls. I’m just sayin…